It’s not just our homes that need style and organization. Many office work spaces could do with a makeover to create a better environment for working and increasing productivity! If you work for your own business look at your work space and examine it with a critical eye. Is it somewhere that’s inviting, comfortable, professional, and well-equipped? Or is it looking bland, tired, messy, and outdated?
Improving the working environment makes a significant contribution to raising morale and increasing well being. An office makeover is a perfect opportunity to evaluate your operating systems and business processes. Make changes and upgrades that will enhance your future business.
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Assessing your space
The first step in the makeover process is assessing how functional your existing facilities are. If you’ve been in business for a while, do you still have the space you need? Has the working environment become cramped? Are there facilities you need or would like to have, that can’t be accommodated in the existing space? If you’re undergoing expansion or diversification make sure you have the space to house extra stock, staff, or equipment? These are all factors to consider before commencing with a makeover. Rather than staying where you are, you may be better off moving to different or larger premises. If a move is worth considering, focus on finding better premises that suit your needs more completely.
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Assessing your processes
If you don’t need to move, the second step is to conduct a thorough assessment of how well your work space is functioning. What could be done to improve it? At the very least, you should have been upgrading your software systems on a regular basis. As technology advances at an ever-increasing rate, now is a good time to rethink your IT set-up as a whole. For example, if you currently operate a backup server system, would you be better off switching to cloud-based like Asset bank or off-site systems and backups? Getting rid of your server could free up space, reduce the workload and expense of having the system on site. It may improve your security. This is the kind of analysis that’s worth doing as part of your makeover project. However, it’s not always easy to know how best to proceed with new IT systems and processes.
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Using enterprise architecture
An enterprise architect will give you some guidance and advice on how to optimize your business processes. These specialists have skills and experience in streamlining all the operations of businesses. They are able to maximize efficiency and profitability, Having an outside view of your business will provide insight that could prove game-changing. Look for an enterprise architect who is TOGAF certified, so you can be sure they have the expertise and experience you need. You may be asking yourself what is TOGAF,and why is it important? TOGAF stands for The Open Group Architecture Framework, and certification is an assurance that an enterprise architect is at the top of their field.
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Planning the project
An office makeover isn’t something that can be done without thorough thought and consideration. You need to create a plan and a timetable for each task. You will need to make arrangements for your staff so that they can keep working while the changes are taking place. It might mean moving to temporary offices for a few weeks or enabling people to work at home for the duration of the project. You can’t afford to let the improvement disrupt the operation of the business. If so, you’ll be losing money and possibly goodwill from your customers. Make sure you get several quotes from professional interior design services. Remember the cheapest won’t necessarily be the best one to choose. Go for the provider who offers the best quality service for a reasonable cost. increasing the likelihood that the job will be completed to a high standard and within schedule.
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Refreshing the décor
The colors you choose for walls and furnishings will make a significant difference to the ambiance of the space. Select your colors with care. Pastels and neutral shades are often recommended. They are less likely to arouse strong feelings in people. That doesn’t mean you can’t use bolder colors if everyone likes the idea. You can include a feature wall in exactly the same way as you would at home. Use highlight colors in soft furnishings and accessories.
Providing they’re not worn or faded, carpets can be brought back to life with a professional clean. If you need to replace the flooring look at the range of other flooring materials available rather than automatically opting for new carpet. There are a range of alternative flooring materials that could be more suited to your environment. If you’re planning to invest in new floor coverings, go for the one that will be hard-wearing and look good in your office.
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Involving staff with the makeover
Your employees spend many hours in their work environment. Make sure you communicate with them about what you’re doing if you plan to change it. It’s good practice to ask staff what they think of the options and whether they have any ideas of their own. The final say will always be yours. They may well come up with good ideas that you hadn’t considered. At the very least, they will be pleased that they’ve been consulted. Imposing change on them without keeping them informed or asking for feedback is a sure way to make them resentful. Don’t exclude them from the process.
You can be just as creative and inventive with an office makeover as you would when redesigning your interiors at home. You need to address the functionality issues first. Make sure you’re abiding by any regulations that are in place that apply to work environments. You can start transforming your dull office into a vibrant, professional work space.
This post is a collaboration and may contain resourceful and relative affiliate links. All opinions are our own and for informational purposes only.